Deborah Holt, aged 53, was diagnosed with breast cancer back in March 2017 after an article on breast cancer prompted her to check herself.

After her diagnosis, Deborah  underwent a lumpectomy, then both chemotherapy and radiotherapy – the cancer was a 20mm Primary Grade 3 Invasive Cancer which had the ability to spread throughout other parts of her body.

To say thank you for the treatment she received, Deborah rallied together a group of her nearest and dearest  to raise money for the hospital that cared for her. 

Calling themselves the ‘Boobie Babes’ they group of seven took part in our 10k Walk For Wards event to raise money and awareness for breast cancer.

“It was all I could think about and for a while it seemed like my future was just crumbling away."

Deborah explained her thoughts after the diagnosis: “When I was diagnosed, I felt numb and vulnerable, like I was going over the edge of a cliff. All I could think about was how I didn’t want to die, I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving my family behind.

“It was all I could think about and for a while it seemed like my future was just crumbling away.

“Thankfully when my results came back they indicated that the cancer was treatable. I was reassured by my consultant not to worry as he was confident I would be ok – so I went into fight mode.

“I knew I could get through anything just as long as I was ok at the end of it all, and so I started to feel more positive.

“I have had amazing results from my surgery, my breast surgeon was absolutely fantastic. The chemotherapy did knock me off my feet sometimes but that’s expected. The radiotherapy was a breeze after everything else, but having to go to the hospital every day for three weeks was tiring to say the least.

"I am so thankful and grateful to the doctors and nurses for looking after me in such a thoughtful and caring manner."

“The care and treatment I received in the Hallamshire and Weston Park was fantastic, I feel very lucky and privileged to have these hospitals locally and I have every confidence in them.

“The staff I came across were caring, dedicated, professional and friendly. I am so thankful and grateful to the doctors and nurses for looking after me in such a thoughtful and caring manner. I will always feel indebted to the teams that supported me, which is why I want to raise money to support them – it’s my way of saying thank you.

“My family and friends provided fantastic support as well and I couldn’t have done it without them. My husband took over the house work, organised our sons and even trained so that he could flush my PICC line, change the dressings and give me my Zarzio stomach injections which boosted my immune system.

“One friend did the ironing, another took me shopping, some were an ear to talk to when I couldn’t tell my family how I was feeling, and there was always someone volunteering to accompany me to hospital appointments. They all rallied round to support me in every way and I will always be grateful to them.

“Thankfully I’m all clear of cancer now, there is always the risk of a future recurrence but the treatment I have had has hopefully minimised that.”

The Boobie Babes aimed to raise £500 but completing Walk for Wards but have already exceeded that target with an incredible £1807.80 so far but now hope to raise over £2000

Deborah has been raising funds through sponsorship forms at work, sharing her story online and doing talks at slimming world groups about breast cancer awareness.

Why not fundraise for us?

Donate to the Boobie Babes